Sunday, February 26, 2012

I watched this afternoon as a young child waited patiently with his mother in a crowded Costco line for 20 minutes - for a slice of pizza, and I was impressed. When I was his age I had very little patience. If I wanted something, I wanted it then, and I wanted now.

This sort of “I want it now, now, now!” attitude stuck with me as I graduated from college causing my now ex-husband and I to drain our savings and our credit cards in order to enjoy a lifestyle that was way beyond our means. In the end our impatience to have it right now cost us a good credit score and resulted in filing for bankruptcy, notwithstanding a divorce a few years later.

Although it was a painful situation at the time I learned a valuable lesson and emerged wiser and with a more appreciative view of the power of patience and persistence.

Of course I know that I am not the only I’m not the only one with an “I want it, and I want it now!” mentality. People of all ages fall into this category of either wanting it all now, or wanting it without having to work for it. Impatience is costly. Not only can it lead to debt and start a cycle of unnecessary consumption and lifestyle inflation, but also impatience robs you of your drive and passion to enjoy the journey of progressive success and accomplishment.

The Power of Patience and Persistence

Of course, patience alone and persistence doesn’t always guarantee success in any particular area of your life, but it definitely increases your odds. Here are just a few of the ways patience can help you achieve your heartfelt goals:
  • Patience and persistence allows you to not only notice opportunities but also to take advantage of them. I am sure you have heard the expression, ‘good things happen to those who wait.’ If you’re willing to forge the successful life you have always dreamed of step-by-step, instead of trying to force it, you will encounter opportunities that you may have overlooked if you were trying to sloppily rush towards achieving your goals.
  • Patience and persistence increases your self-esteem. If you are really passionate about wanting to achieve something in your life, you will take pride in the process. I don’t know about you, but my heart soars as I focus on my daily action plan of success. With each step of my accomplishment not only does my self-discipline increase, but also my confidence in completing my project, as well as my self-esteem.
  • Patience and persistence helps you to focus on what is important in life. In my experience, and perhaps in yours as well, I have noticed that as I age, my values change. Patience and persistence allows you to assess those things that really matter to you, and to practice focusing on those things and enjoying them. It is the pull of the pleasure of consistently pursuing your goals, spending quality time with the people you love, and just plain enjoying the beauty of life that keeps you engaged in life today – not the allure of climbing the corporate ladder.
  • Patience and persistence keeps you focused on your goal. By utilizing a simple plan of action, patience and persistence keeps you disciplined and focused on what needs to be done next in terms of achieving your dream or goal. It means focusing on first things first, and not on those things that are either time wasters, or those things that have nothing to do with your goal at all. It means living your life your way by keeping your eyes focused on the prize of achievement.
The power of patience and persistence go hand in hand. If you can learn the value of patience and persistence, the world will open up to you. Remember, anything worth achieving in life is worth taking your time to do it in such a way that you enjoy all of the virtues of your focused passion, and keeping at it until you get your desired result. Benjamin Franklin once said, “He that can have patience, can have what he wills.”

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